Recycling instead of poof in the bin bag How not to make mistakes when disposing of waste - and avoid fines
Do you separate your waste? The pitfalls of waste disposal get in the way of many people every day. blue News shows you how to dispose of your waste properly.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- blue News explains how to dispose of your waste correctly without committing a crime.
- Cardboard and newspapers - or waste paper - must be bundled.
- Glass in the waste bag can cause considerable damage or errors during incineration in the waste incineration plant.
- E-cigarettes are electronic waste. There are even containers specially made for vapes to dispose of them.
We've all been there: the bin for empty bottles in the cellar or on the balcony is full, so for once you decide to throw the glass bottle in the garbage bag. Bad idea!
blue News shows you how to dispose of your garbage correctly. The Building Department, which is also responsible for recycling and garbage in the canton of Zurich, explains what you need to look out for.
The regulations are mostly the same in Switzerland, but can vary slightly from municipality to municipality.
How should I dispose of cardboard correctly? Can I put the bundle on the street the evening before?
Corrugated cardboard and all types of uncoated cardboard packaging such as boxes, fruit and vegetable cartons belong in the cardboard collection. Paper envelopes can also be handed over to the cardboard collection. Cardboard that is soiled or coated with plastic (e.g. Tetrapaks) and detergent cartons do not belong in the cardboard collection: they should be disposed of with the garbage. Pizza boxes soiled with leftover food should also be disposed of with the garbage.
As waste collection is a municipal task, the rules of the respective municipality apply. It is usually permitted to put the bundles out the evening before - ideally protected from the weather.
According to reports, however, a blue News reader has already received a fine for depositing the cardboard on the street early.
What do you need to consider with paper waste?
Waste paper includes office paper, newspapers, magazines, paperbacks, book pages without covers, brochures without coating, etc. Do not dispose of them separately. Sanitary paper, paper napkins, household paper and diapers do not belong in the separate collection. Beverage cartons (tetra packs) and wet-strength paper such as paper carrier bags from Coop and Migros, for example, also do not belong in the paper collection.
Can broken glass or aluminum be thrown into the garbage bag?
Glass and aluminum do not belong in the garbage, they are recyclable. If glass ends up in the garbage, problems arise because glass is not incinerated in the waste incineration plant (WIP), but ends up in landfill with the slag. The glass then takes up unnecessary landfill space.
Crystal and drinking glasses, glass plates, glass vases as well as window glass, mirror glass and car windows do not belong in the glass collection, but with the mineral waste. Although there is no outward difference, the chemical composition is different. These types of glass would interfere with recycling and cause errors.
Tetra packs and composite packaging such as pet food bags do not belong in the aluminum collection, but in the garbage.
How do I dispose of polystyrene correctly?
Expanded polystyrene (EPS), also known as Styrofoam, is sometimes collected separately. An important argument for separate collection is primarily of a practical nature: the aim is to relieve the population of light and bulky waste and save them the bag fee. Of course, it also makes sense to leave a relatively homogeneous and clean raw material (in this case plastic) in the cycle. If no separate collection is offered, polystyrene should be disposed of in the garbage.
What other materials need to be disposed of separately?
For example, medicines, spray cans, paints and varnishes, chemicals and others - they are considered hazardous waste and can be disposed of in the hazardous waste mobile or at the cantonal hazardous waste collection point.
And what do I do with vapes?
No, they contain a rechargeable battery and are therefore electronic devices. Electronic devices can be handed in at the point of sale and in some cases at the municipal collection point. There is now also a recycling bag for e-cigarettes.
